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[Leptospirosis in dogs in Slovakia]
P Bakoss1, J Jareková, E Kmety
1Ustav epidemiológie Lekárskej fakulty UK, Bratislava.
Veterinarni Medicina
|March 1, 1992
Summary
Over a quarter of investigated dogs in Slovakia showed antibodies to leptospiral antigens. L. grippotyphosa was the most common serovar, indicating dogs as environmental indicators for leptospirosis.
Area of Science:
- Veterinary Medicine
- Infectious Diseases
- Epidemiology
Context:
- Leptospirosis is a significant zoonotic disease with various etiological agents.
- Dogs can act as sentinels for environmental exposure to pathogenic Leptospira serovars.
- Previous studies on canine leptospirosis in Czechoslovakia were limited in scope and geographical coverage.
Purpose:
- To determine the seroprevalence of leptospiral infections in dogs across Slovakia and Moravia.
- To identify the predominant Leptospira serovars circulating in the canine population.
- To assess the role of dogs as reservoirs for human leptospirosis and inform vaccination strategies.
Summary:
- A serological investigation of 571 dogs in Slovakia and Moravia revealed a 26.1% seropositivity for leptospiral antigens.
- Seropositivity varied by region, dog type (lap, farm, police), and age, with farm dogs and older dogs showing higher rates.
- Leptospira grippotyphosa was the most prevalent serovar (58.9%), followed by Sejroe (21.0%) and Icterohaemorrhagiae (15.3%) groups.
- Dogs are considered indicators of environmental leptospiral serovar distribution rather than significant reservoirs for human leptospirosis in the studied region.
- The current necessity of routine canine leptospirosis vaccination, except possibly against Weil's disease, is questioned due to irregular and short-lived leptospiruria.
Impact:
- Findings suggest that dogs serve as valuable bioindicators for monitoring environmental leptospiral contamination.
- The study questions the efficacy of current canine leptospirosis vaccination protocols, advocating for a re-evaluation based on prevalent serovars.
- Recommendations include periodic serological surveillance in dogs to detect shifts in circulating Leptospira serovars, enabling timely epizootiological interventions and vaccine composition adjustments.